Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7191 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS N0.7191 'X0 T I A May 12, 1987 foyl To the Mayor and Members of the City Council 'Al-X Subject: RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE CITY OF FORT WORTH'S ASSESSMENT PAVING POLICY BACKGROUND In general, streets that are to be constructed or reconstructed and partially funded with street assessments can be broadly classified as either "Reconstruction!' projects or "New Construction!' projects. "Reconstruction" projects include all streets that have been built to a City of Fort Worth standard and are being rebuilt to that same standard or upgraded to a current standard. This could include street widening or any other modification. The criteria is that the street was previously built to a City of Fort Worth standard at some time in its past. "New Construction!' projects include all streets that are being built for the first time (no street existed previously, whatsoever) and streets that have been previously opened to traffic but have never been built to a City of Fort Worth standard. Typical of this category are county type roads built with barrow ditches, unpaved gravel or dirt roads, and penetration paved streets. The current assessment paving policy was written to maximize fairness throughout the City and to stretch project dollars as far as possible. The result of this policy is that too fiw streets are being reconstructed to meet the goal of improving the overall street system. The current policy calls for adjacent property owners of local streets to agree to the street construction or reconstruction and with the assessments that the current policy calls for, few owners are willing to agree. It is clear that if streets are to be reconstructed at the rate needed to meet the City adopted goal of 70% of our streets in good condition by the year 2005, the policy to require adjacent property owner approval must be re-evaluated at least for most projects. The only viable way of doing that is to eliminate assessments for one and two-family residential property for all reconstruction projects. This is reasonable if it is recognized that the enhancement of one and two-family residential property resulting from a street reconstruction project is usually small. RECOMMENDATIONS The following are Staff's recommended changes to the Assessment Paving Policy: 1. Street Reconstruction Projects a. Property zoned and used as one or two-family residential property will not be assessed except as noted in b. below. b. If a parcel is zoned and used as one or two-family residential , has no curb and or gut-ter, no concrete driveway approach or no sidewalk, an assessment will be levied for those facilities L ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No7191 p.2 'OpIkk ."PTIN,o May 12, 1987 U SUP To the Mayor and Members of the City Council xs Subject: RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE CITY OF FORT WORTH'S ASSESSMENT PAVING POLICY only. If the project is in an area that meets CDBG guidelines for assessment assistance, is owner occupied, and the property owner meets CDBG guidelines for low or moderate income, CDBG funding will be used to pay that assessment. C. All other zoning and/or use will be assessed per the current policy and the enhancement to the property will be determined by the City's Real Property Manager. d. CDBG will pay 15% of all construction costs in Target Areas . e. No petition or poll card survey will be necessary and the City Council will declare the necessity for the project and order the project constructed, based on the project being listed in the Capital Improvement Program and the Staff's statement that the street is in such deteriorated condition that the street needs to be reconstructed. f. Additional projects may be added by petition subject to the availability of funds. 9- If the street is a needed thoroughfare, the Staff determines that the street cannot be kept open to traffic due to gross failure and the City Council concurs, the City Council will order the project constructed. 2. New Street Construction Projects a. In CDBG Target Areas 1) CDBG will pay 35% of all construction costs. 2) Property zoned and used as one or two-family residential property will not be assessed. 3) All other zoning and/or use will be assessed per the current policy and the enhancement to the property will be deter- mined by the City's Real Property Manager. 4) No petition or poll card survey will be necessary and the City Council will declare the necessity for the project and order the project constructed based on the project being listed in the Capital Improvement Program and the Staff's oph, statement that the street is in such deteriorated condition that the street needs to be constructed. 5) Additional projects may be added by petition subject to the availability of funds. LISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7191 p.3 '001, To the Mayor and Members of the City Council May 12, 1987 61- 1 ow" MAt Subject: RECOM14ENDED CHANGES TO THE CITY OF FORT WORTH'S ASSESSMENT PAVING POLICY 6) if the street is a needed thoroughfare, the Staff determines that the street cannot be kept open to traffic due to gross failure and the City Council concurs, the City Council will order the project constructed. b. In Non CDBG Target Areas 1) All zoning and/or use will be assessed per the current policy and the enhancement to the property will be determined by the City's Real Property Manager. 2) If the project is in an area that meets CDBG guidelines for assessment assistance, the property is zoned and used as one or two-family residential, is owner occupied, and the property owner meets CDBG guidelines for low or moderate income, CDBG funding will be used to pay that assessment. 3) If the project is for a local street listed in the Capital Improvement Program, a petition or poll card survey that indicates that 502 or more of the adjacent property owners are either in favor of the project or fail to respond will normally be required -for the City Council to order the project constructed. 4) Additional projects may be added by petition subject to the availability of funds. 5) If the street is a needed thoroughfare, the Staff determines that the street cannot be kept open to traffic due to gross failure and the City Council concurs, the City Council will order the project constructed. When the City staff determines that the application of any portion of this policy is in conflict with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) policies, the specific situation will be brought to the City Council for resolution. It should be noted that the use of CDBG funds is subject to their availability. Finally, staff believes that in order to be totally fair with all affected citizens that any project which was included in the 1986-88 Capital Improvement Program and has already had assessments levied should also be OpIk included in this policy. This would mean that some projects already started will have to have some assessments amended and other adjustments will be necessary to finance on-going projects. If the City Council agrees with this concept, staff will prepare M&C's that will carry out the program as outlined above. LISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No . 7191 p.4 OTS May 12, 1987 10kr To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Subject: RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THE CITY OF FORT WORTH'S ASSESSMENT PAVING POLICY FINANCING The 1986-88 Capital 'Improvement Program includes $41,125,000 for the City' s share of the cost of construction of 182 specified streets (some funds are undesignated). The program assumed that part of the cost of these street projects would come from assessments paid either by the adjacent property owners or from CDBG funds. An analysis of the assessment paving policy with the recc� ended changes incorporated, indicates that the amount of CDBG funding required would be between $4.3 million and $4.5 million which compares favorably with the $4.5 million of CDBG funds designed and programmed under the current policy. CDBG funding to support the current Capital Improvement Program will be limited to $4.5 million. Thus, it appears that the recommended policy changes will not adversely affect the City's ability to fund the street program, provided that severe inflation does not occur. In future bond programs, if CDBG funding is maintained at a relatively constant level, the recommended policy can continue. If CDBG funds are significantly reduced or eliminated, the City's bond cost will have to be increased, the amount of projects reduced, residential assessments reinstated or some other adjustments) made to offset the loss of CDBG funds. SCHEDULE If the City Council concurs with this recommendation, staff proposes the following schedule for formal adoption: 1. Community Development Council meets on May 11, 1987. 2. Staff prepares specific wording changes to the Assessment Paving Policy by May 18, 1987. 3. Development Policy Advisory Committee meets on May 20, 1987. 4. I&C to adopt changes sent to the City Council on May 21, 1987. 5. City Council adopts changes at regular City Council meeting on May 26, 1987 with all changes effective immediately. Should the City Council desire any additional information, it will be furnished upon request. as Harman City ZZ47 City Manager DH:du "ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS